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CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2018; 45(01): 80-84
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2016.01991
Case Report

A shark attack treated in a tertiary care centre: Case report and review of the literature

Mélissa Roy
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
,
Mathew A Plant
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
,
Laura Snell
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Although uncommon, shark attacks can lead to devastating outcomes for victims. Surgeons also face unique challenges during operative management such as exsanguination, shock, specific injury patterns and infections. This case report presents the management of a 39-year-old previously healthy female attacked by a shark while on vacation in Mexico. The patient sustained severe injuries to her left arm and her left thigh. She was transferred to a Canadian institution after ambiguous operative management in Mexico and presented with no clear antibiotic coverage and a Volkman’s contracture of the left upper extremity. In total, the patient underwent four washouts of wounds, two split-thickness skin grafts, one free anterolateral thigh flap, and one free transverse rectus abdominus myocutaneous flap for the reconstruction and salvage of the left lower extremity. This article highlights the specifics of this case and describes important points in managing these devastating injuries.

Keywords

Shark - Bites - Free tissue flap - Myocutaneous flap - Penetrating wound


Publication History

Received: 26 November 2016

Accepted: 10 May 2017

Article published online:
03 April 2022

© 2018. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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